Another year has come and gone and the Community Asset Awards are going strong.

The Juvenile Justice Advisory Board, through the Los Alamos Chamber of Commerce and Assets In Action, topped another year of good deeds with a variety of recognitions from the fourth annual ceremony.

The gala was at the Betty Ehart Senior Center, with the help of Los Alamos County Administrator Harry Burgess.

Burgess, along with Los Alamos Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Gene Schmidt, kicked off the evening with an acknowledgement from America's Promise Alliance and ING, for claiming the title of one of the 100 Best Communities for Young People.

State Rep. Stephanie Garcia Richard attended the festivities and presented the trophy on behalf of Jordan LaPier, senior director for the 100 Best Communities program.

The America's Promise Alliance Representative, sent along these kind words, relayed by Garcia Richard to those in attendance.

“America’s Promise Alliance and the ING Foundation are thrilled to recognize Los Alamos County for the second time as one of the nation’s 100 Best Communities for Young People. Congratulations to everyone working hard to make youth the first priority in Los Alamos,” LaPier said in a written statement.

The League of Women Voters will have their monthly Lunch with a Leader meeting at 11:40 a.m. Thursday at the Mesa Public Library. To order lunch, contact Karyl Ann Armbruster at 661-6605 or kaskacayman@gmail.com.

ESTANCIA (AP) — A man wanted in the case of a huge marijuana plantation that a couple of hunters stumbled upon in the Manzano Mountains is now in custody, authorities said.
KRQE-TV reports that Torrance County Sheriff’s Department said this week that U.S. marshals recently arrested Joseph Hazle in Texas. He will soon be extradited back to New Mexico to face charges for the illegal plants on his property.
In September, two hunters told deputies that they stumbled upon the plantation and four men started shooting at them. The men escaped before authorities arrived on the scene, police said.

Police: Dad, son linked to drive-by shooting

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Authorities say a New Mexico father and his son are facing charges in connection to a drive-by shooting.
KOB-TV reports that 47-year-old David Martinez Sr. and his 17-year-old son were arrested for the drive-by shooting Thursday in Albuquerque.
Police say the victim, whose name has not been released, had a got into a fight with the elder Martinez. The victim told police that two men shot at him from a car. He’s recovering from surgery.
The victim told investigators that it was a drive-by shooting out of fear of retaliation.
It was unclear if either man had attorneys.

Los Alamos developer Stan Primak was arrested and charged with aggravated battery against a household member at his home Friday night.

According to the criminal complaint filed in Magistrate Court, Los Alamos police were dispatched to the 1300 block of 44th Street, after responding to a 911 call at 8:24 p.m.

Primak’s neighbors, who had earlier been to the Primak residence for dinner, met Cpl. Miguel Maez.

“As we approached the front door, I immediately observed the victim was bleeding profusely from the nose and her face was covered in blood,” Maez wrote in the complaint. “The victim iwas being assisted by (her friend).”

According to the statement of probable cause, Stan Primak had locked himself in the bathroom. Maez knocked on the bathroom door and asked Primak to come out.

Seconds later, Primak, 61, opened the door and was escorted to the kitchen. Primak refused to answer any questions from Maez.

Primak was arrested and taken to the Los Alamos Detention Center. He later posted a $3,000 cash surety bond and was released.

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — A powerful earthquake sparked a tsunami warning for hundreds of miles of Alaskan and Canadian coastline, but the alert was canceled when no damaging waves were generated.

The magnitude 7.5 quake and tsunami warning that followed caused concern in some coastal communities, with alarms sounding and people rushing to higher ground for safety.

But the Alaska Tsunami Warning Center later said the waves were too small to pose a threat, reaching just six inches above normal sea level in places such as Sitka and Port Alexander.

"Initially, in the first 15 to 20 minutes, there might have been a bit of panic," Sitka Police Chief Sheldon Schmitt told The Associated Press in a phone interview. But he said things calmed down as the town waited for the all clear.

The temblor struck at midnight Friday (1 a.m. PST Saturday) and was centered about 60 miles west of Craig, Alaska, the U.S. Geological Survey said.